It Doesn't Just Flow Away (4)
Deathbringer slipped into the castle with ease. Whether they had forgotten how a mere brat had breached it ten years ago or not, the security was still as sloppy as ever—infiltration was hardly a challenge.
The route to the secret passage was no different. Even with a new castle lord, nothing about the garden's layout or the annexes had changed, so there was no reason to get lost.
Well, there was one thing. A warehouse had been built on the path he used to take. That forced him to detour through the flower garden.
But it was no real trouble. There was a hedge maze, and plenty of flowers and trees to serve as cover.
"I shall praise you. Had you not made a mistake, I would never have known until the end."
Still—why move the office down to the first floor, and why connect it straight to the garden?
And why was that man who looked identical to the young castle lord making such meaningful contact with someone who wasn't even family? If this really was the young lord, didn't he already have a fiancée?
An affair? Was this an affair? But their expressions didn't look like it at all.
"For a mere human, you have quite the skill."
Besides, he had only peeked out a little, curious about the bizarre scene and wanting to know what was going on. Yet the supposed affair partner noticed him right away.
Vines suddenly sprouted and yanked him down from the tree for good measure.
That should have been impossible unless the other party was a mage.
The problem was that before entering, he had confirmed with his observation item that there were no mana users present.
So what the hell was this guy who had just popped out? Could a mage somehow counter magic tools?
"But that is no reason to spare you—."
"Wait a moment!!"
Anyway, the platinum-haired figure who clearly looked anything but ordinary was about to raise a hand. The one who stopped him was the young castle lord (presumed).
"P-please wait just a moment."
Not stopping there, the young lord lowered his eyes in a smile so servile it was painful to watch.
The platinum being withdrew his hand and smiled back. Honey practically dripped from that look; this one clearly had feelings for the young lord.
"Why do you stop me?"
"Th-that is…"
The young lord, on the other hand—well.
For someone fawning to get something, his expression was stiff. It didn't look like this was of his own free will.
"H-he is nothing but a mere thief. I will punish him myself, so please pay me mind instead."
Which meant the young lord had no choice but to grovel purely because of the other's status or power.
What kind of identity would make even the young castle lord this pathetic? How many ranks in the world could make someone of his station abandon all backbone?
"My adorable one. But how can you be certain he is a thief, and not perhaps an assassin? After all, you yourself rose to this position ten years ago when the previous lord was assassinated."
Deathbringer eavesdropped while gauging whether he could escape or not.
Honestly, that last remark hit a little hard. Assassin. Deathbringer's eyes darkened.
"That is…"
"Thief or assassin, they are equally worthless beings. So I shall dispose of him for you."
Meanwhile, he was neither thief nor assassin.
He hadn't entered with permission, so he could be called an intruder, but his goal was neither the castle's treasures nor anyone's death. He was just trying to pass through.
Well, that was no real excuse, of course.
"I-I will!"
Just then the young lord shouted. Plip. Tears that had seemed to stop fell once more down his cheek.
"Am I not crying? You should be comforting me…"
The platinum being's eyes widened a fraction.
"Ah… I had the order wrong. Of course you come first."
He still didn't know why he had to watch this, but at least the young lord seemed to be doing it to save him, so he was grateful.
But was this the only method available?
Deathbringer felt a sour taste watching a scene that looked endlessly close to romance. Time was pressing; he couldn't hide the bitterness.
The young castle lord forced to dance a courtship for an overwhelmingly superior being? Pitiful, yet not that pitiful. After all, he still stood at the very top of the power hierarchy.
The world Deathbringer had grown up in was one where, just to survive, people sold more than their hearts—they had to crush them completely.
Raised watching such people, he found the young lord regrettable but not a target of true sympathy. At the very least, this human was suffering after already enjoying everything there was to enjoy.
"Have the guards handle that…"
So was the ending arrest? Getting thrown into the deep underground prison would be a pain, though not impossible to escape from. Still, things had gotten tangled.
If the priests came searching for him before he got out, the situation would turn into a real headache.
"…Unwelcome things keep arriving one after another."
"…?"
But even if the ground collapses, one doesn't always have to fall.
Deathbringer allowed himself a flicker of hope that chaos might create an opening for him.
"They are the soldiers of the gods."
No. When the ground collapses, you fall—of course.
"Why is the Order…"
It was clearly an unannounced visit—as expected—and the young lord showed open surprise. Even so, a quiet hope was already lifting its head in his eyes.
"It seems they are pursuing something…"
The platinum being toyed with the young lord's hair, then let out a soft "Ah."
"It is you. You are the reason they have come."
And those eyes turned back to Deathbringer. Under a gaze like a predator's, he instinctively shrank. It felt exactly like standing before a tiger with nothing between them.
"I left you alone according to the pact, but now that you have disturbed my front yard, things are different."
Pact?
A word that pricked at his attention slipped past.
"Seize him at once—."
He was about to resign himself to certain capture when the platinum one's words cut off mid-sentence. The head whipped around, beautiful brows knitted, face full of pure irritation.
"How dare…"
He had no way of knowing what else had appeared. A mere human—practically an ordinary one—and the young lord each tried to unravel their confusion in their own way.
Boom!
An instant later, a tremendous crash flipped an entire corner of the garden. Debris flew far enough to reach even him and the young lord.
Hissss.
Naturally, a sandstorm rose.
"Are you unharmed?"
"Y-yes. You blocked it, so I'm fine, but…"
Dev roughly shielded himself with his clothes and peered through the swirling dust. Between the grains he caught a flash of pitch-black ink.
Then, as the cloud settled a little, a gray far clearer than that blackness. Skin even whiter. Something the color of red wine—called the blood of the gods.
"Huu."
"Ah…"
"That person…"
Flap.
The three tails of a coat billowed like banners, and through the dust the owner of it all lifted his head.
"As expected, trusting demons was a mistake."
"Found you."
Eyes the color of ash drew a blade.
"I should have killed you the moment you set foot on this land, even after giving two signals."
Had he chased on impulse and lost him on impulse?
With a droplet of blood running down his cheek, he finally got a brief explanation from the Inquisitor. Even that was just one short sentence: Dev seemed to have taken on demon energy.
Of course that alone wasn't enough to accept. So he decided to keep chasing. The reason he came all the way to the castle was that the priests said they felt demon energy in this direction.
As for the unauthorized entry, he figured the Archmage or the Inquisitor would cover for him later.
"I overlooked you even though you reeked of fishiness and carried demon energy, yet you dare run wild beyond your place?"
But what the hell was going on right now?
Clang.
The moment I landed and took stock of the people around me, one of them attacked. It was the one stuck extremely close to the young castle lord.
"W-wait a moment!"
"I will no longer show mercy."
With complete sincerity they were pressed right against each other, and he was even wiping the young lord's tears, so for a second I thought, "Huh? An affair?"
But before that thought could deepen, I was already crossing blades with that partner. Strictly speaking only I had a blade; the other side was using elongated nails, but still.
"Hah."
Even setting aside the "trusting demons" and "fishy smell" talk, the phrase "even though you carried demon energy" had come out.
In the middle of this mess, a line I couldn't ignore for the sake of the roleplay had been thrown down.
"I don't know who is talking about whose place here."
So what was I supposed to do?
"A beast that reeks of animal stench."
Launch the hell-mouth that ruins even misunderstandings that might have been solved by talking, of course.
"A mere human dares mock me!"
"N-no, you mustn't!"
I glanced at Dev, who was quietly trying to slip away behind me, then stepped back and studied the one charging again. Dev was my priority, but this opponent didn't look easy either. Not someone I could just brush past.
Of course, the appearance alone said enough. I had thought the young castle lord was the peak of beauty, but this one was no less. The clothes and color combination even made him look flashier at first glance.
But would someone this dazzling be a passerby?
Moreover, if you looked carefully at the face, there was no human quality. Beauty aside, something about him felt not human.
Especially after the "mere human" line.
He really didn't seem human, did he?
Clang.
I crossed blades again. But since both of the opponent's hands were weapons, when one was blocked he simply swung the other.
Long nails aimed for my head.
Whoosh.
I refused to give even a cheek this time—pulled my body back and drove a kick straight into his solar plexus. One cut on the face was already enough.
"…!"
The opponent dodged the kick as well. But having his own body nearly attacked seemed to humiliate him terribly. The corners of his lips trembled, then he bared lengthened fangs.
"Biryuho!!"
The young lord's scream, half a shriek, rang in my ears. Biryuho. From what I remembered, the old master of the eastern lands—an Ancient Beast that had settled there.
"Young Lord, what is happening!!"
"Young Lord, are you all ri—!"
"I-intruders?!"
"It's dangerous, Young Lord!"
Wow. After the Sea Dragon and Sangun, now I was finally meeting Biryuho too. Essential story-progress boss, right? Have to pass through no matter what, right?
"No, you must not come here…!"
"One who has sold his flesh to the demon!"
But the timing was way too much, wasn't it? I still had things left to settle with Dev. Why he tried to leave, why he took on demon energy—just those facts already made my head hurt!!
Why meet him right now? Couldn't it wait a little?
"…Do not insult me!"
Yet ignoring the opponent and walking away didn't fit the roleplay either. And more than that, the other side didn't look ready to let me go.
I gripped my sword properly, thinking that every kind of ash was crashing down on me when I was already busy.
"Please go back!"
The young lord was desperately trying to drive the guards away in the opening.
"But there are intruders!"
"Come this way!"
Unfortunately, my presence and Biryuho's—presumably—made it far from easy. The guards' sense of duty was a little too solid.
"Young hunter, here. Huh? Comrade!!"
On top of that, Berserk shoved past the guards and stuck her head out. The situation sank deeper into chaos.
"Intruders all the way here!"
"Young Lord, you must evacuate!"
"Even if this is a temple, to arrive without permission!"
"We will remember this…!"
Wow, chaotic, so chaotic. I kept glancing around while dealing with Biryuho's relentless assault.
Biryuho was fast, but not at an unbearable level, and the charge patterns were simple enough that I could manage.
Unlike other Ancient Beasts, he wasn't huge, so even small movements didn't cause massive damage either.
More than anything, he himself seemed unwilling to harm the surroundings—it didn't feel like a full fight. Since I also wasn't using mana for fear of collateral damage, we were under the same conditions.
Neither of us was getting through, both just venting temper…
"You should just die quietly instead of this useless thrashing…"
But the stalemate of not getting through to each other must have irritated him too.
His face twisted further and his eyes turned vicious.
Mana—or rather an overwhelming aura—gathered every wind toward him. His platinum hair whipped upward as if it would spike like Super Saiyan from Dragon Ball.
Moreover, the hands and bare feet faintly visible through the fluttering clothes instantly sprouted fur, turning beast-like.
Thud!
Yet that was all that changed—and suddenly the ground sank, as if his weight had increased.
"So you force me to use my power at last."
And then…
"Die."
"…!"
"Get back!"
The moment he clawed the air with his fingers, a phantom of a tiger's paw appeared and raked toward me and the space behind me.
A common effect, so not particularly amazing, but the aftermath was mighty.
"Gyaaah!"
"Keheuk!"
Because I met it with mana instead of retreating at the last second, and because Berserk farther back roughly shoved people out of the way, only two were caught in the attack.
But even "only two" didn't mean the damage was light.
Especially when one lost an arm and the other received a deep gash from shoulder to hip.
"Biryuho—!!"
The young lord screamed.
"…!"
At the scream Biryuho flinched. The raging mana stopped. The body that had been transforming returned to the form I first saw.
The platinum beauty's long eyelashes trembled.
"…I have shown you an unsightly face."
The tone held fluster but no guilt.
Biryuho made a prim, haughty gesture.
Then the grass around the two wounded began to swell wildly. Something thrust up between the blades and bloomed into flowers.
"But it is well."
"How…"
"Use this chance to declare it properly. That you are mine—this Biryuho's."
"How could you…"
They weren't ordinary flowers; the moment the buds opened, a faint fragrance spread. The wounded who had been coughing blood or screaming looked a little more at ease.
The wounds didn't seem healed—more like a rough painkiller effect. Calling it "giving the disease then the medicine" still didn't balance the books.
"You seem troubled now, so I shall return later."
But what did you just say, bastard? You pick a fight with my roleplay as far as you want and then just leave after finishing your business?
"Insect."
Not only the challenge to the concept, but there were lines among his that I couldn't simply overlook.
I might be destined to be tainted by demon energy, fine—but "trusting demons was a mistake" sounded strange.
Whether as an ally or simply someone ignored and overlooked, he clearly had a string connected to demons. I couldn't let that slip.
"Where do you think you're going."
So I wrapped mana around my sword. Black energy clung to the silver blade and the longsword creaked. It seemed this one was starting to go bad too.
"Ah, no!"
But as long as it didn't break right now, fine. Half-ignoring the young lord's cry, I thrust the sword at Biryuho.
A white hand caught the mana-wreathed blade bare. It wasn't completely without impact—blood trickled down.
"Tsk."
Still, he had blocked it.
He glared as if to kill me, brows furrowed.
Yet it didn't turn into using his hands, probably because the young lord behind me was in the way.
In the end Biryuho flung my sword aside. The force was so enormous I couldn't resist.
"I shall overlook it this once."
But so what if he flings the sword? Even if I lacked the strength to withstand it, I had the jaw strength not to let go of the hilt.
I spun my body following the sword that tried to fly sideways. Using the force of the deflection as an axis, I turned full circle.
Whoosh!
Yet Biryuho stepping back two paces was faster than my sword could cut him.
If I'd known, I would have fired a sword aura. But if I fired one and he dodged, the aftermath…
"So leave this land at onc—."
"Khahat! A strong one!"
A hearty laugh rang out. Boom! With a crash a massive halberd shook the ground.
Biryuho, who had pulled back so hastily his form almost collapsed, widened his eyes. The spot he had just occupied was now shattered by the halberd.
"Comrade, you stole Berserk's prey last time. I take it back now."
But would anyone here care about that? I looked at Berserk and flicked my wrist as if shaking out the longsword.
"Get lost."
"Hmph. Berserk doesn't listen to you. I will fight."
The sound of the young lord grabbing the back of his neck was probably just my imagination.
The two of us stood side by side before Biryuho.
"Insignificant humans…"
At our behavior Biryuho raised veins on his graceful neck in irritation. Mana stirred faintly; he looked ready to draw power any second.
"Demon Knight! Berserk!"
But the situation changed with a new arrival. The Inquisitor came running, leading the priests.
And while she drew our gazes, Biryuho quickly swept his hand.
Crrrack!
Just like the flowers that had grown beside the wounded, vines of enormous thickness sprouted in an instant. One to bind us, one to block our path.
"Ridiculous…!"
"Oh, what is this? The grass grew all of a sudden."
Of course it was hard to say they had much effect. I just cut them with the sword, and Berserk tore them apart with pure strength.
The wall-like ones raised to block the path were similar. Even without combining forces, breaking through was no difficulty.
"He's gone…!"
"Huh."
But that brief moment was enough for Biryuho to withdraw. There was no trace of how he vanished or of him leaving.
"Is it over without anything…"
Unlike us, the young lord visibly relaxed. Though the wounded coughing soon stiffened his face again.
"Priests! There are wounded here!"
"Yes?!"
He called the priests who had arrived first. Injuries that could only be saved with holy power made the judgment natural.
The Inquisitor's eyes rounded, then she spotted the urgency of the wounds and spun around in a hurry.
Those whose breath had been rattling barely crossed the border of life and death under her hands.
"Tsk."
If they lived, that was good enough. Even if we had lost Biryuho.
I pushed over the absurdly thick remaining wall of plants and reviewed the situation.
We hadn't caught Biryuho, but someone who would know him well was still here—I could just ask. The original target, Dev, had fled while we faced Biryuho…
"Comrade, where are you going?"
We had burned some time dealing with it, but it wasn't on the scale of tens of minutes. If we did well we could still catch him.
"Ah. Demon Knight, that… slicker fellow…"
"That's right! We have to find the young hunter!"
I looked at the Inquisitor. She had just finished barely stitching the patients' breaths and was handing them over to another priest.
"Direction."
"…! That way!"
That way, huh.
I stepped forward, remembering the wound on my cheek that shouldn't hurt yet still seemed to throb somewhere.
The thought that it might be better just to let him go, since the chance of dying if caught by us was high, I discarded.
I still hadn't heard a single thing from Meat Dumpling.
Even if I was going to let him go, I at least needed to hear the reason first.